Philosophy of Ethics

Explain Kant’s ethical view

Deontologist; the goodness or badness of an act is in the act itself, i.e. lying is always bad, regardless of the situation.

1. Act only on those maxims that you could, at the same time, desire to be universal maxims.
2. Treat people as ends in themselves, not just as means to an end.

Objection: Since ethical statements are categorical, a person cannot tell which action to perform if two ethical statements are in conflict.

Discuss Utilitarianism

An act is good that produces the greatest pleasure for the greatest number of people.

Objection: Transplant objection: one person goes to a doctor and is completely healthy. The other three need vital organ transplants. Utilitarianism says to kill the healthy person and divide his organs among the other three. But this is obviously unethical.

Discuss the ethical emotivism of A.J. Ayer

To say something is “good” is simply to have a positive emotional response to it. To say something is “bad” is to have a negative emotional response to it.

Objection: People may find themselves conditioned to have a certain emotional response that ends up being misguided.

Discuss the egoistic ethics of Thomas Hobbes

Thomas Hobbes believed that everyone acts in their own self interest. Someone’s State of Nature is when they are allowed to do whatever they want. A Social Contract is put in place to put limits on desires for the sake of self interest. An enforcer of a Social Contract is a Leviathan.

Objection: Social Contracts aren’t always just and therefore must be defied in cases where they are unjust.

Discuss the virtue based ethics of Aristotle

In order to figure out what is morally good, we need to be clear about what we mean by the word “good.”

The goal of human life is to be happy. Since happiness is the goal, then the “good life” is a life that brings the most happiness. “Happiness” means a full and complete life.

1. Virtues are learned, not natural.

2. Virtues are a mean between two extremes.

3. Virtue is neither intellectual or emotional; rather, it is a part of our character.

The Four Cardinal Virtues:

1. Prudence

2. Temperance

3. Fortitude

4. Justice